District’s ‘Big 4’ commissioners will meet for realignment confab

Commissioners from the Stanislaus District’s four largest leagues – the Modesto Metro Conference, Central California Conference, Western Athletic Conference and Valley Oak League – plan to meet privately before the next Sac-Joaquin Section realignment committee to hammer out details of a plan that is beneficial to their member schools.

The section’s second realignment meeting is slated for Jan. 12 at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton, site of the first meeting Dec. 14.

Commissioners Ed Felt (MMC), Vince Clemons (CCC), Norm Antinetti (VOL) and Kerry McWilliams (WAC) each confirmed they will huddle Jan. 9 in Lodi following a regularly scheduled meeting of section commissioners.

After the section made its initial realignment suggestions Dec. 14, Central Valley athletic director Greg Magni presented a counter-proposal.

“My original, unofficial, proposal from the Dec. 14 meeting stirred up some interest,” said Magni, whose school will grow to nearly 2,000 in enrollment by the 2018-19 school year, when the next realignment cycle begins. “Some spoke that day in support of the proposal – Los Banos, Pacheco, Patterson – but some schools wanted more information. The realignment committee asked that we present any official proposal that we have at the next meeting. We hope to have the four involved leagues to discuss ideas, and the ultimate goal is to have something prepared to present on Jan. 12.”

Magni’s plan would move Turlock and Pitman into the MMC, with Beyer leaving for the VOL, and Davis and Johansen departing for the WAC. Patterson and Central Valley would leave the WAC to fill the Turlock-Pitman vacancies in the CCC. Also, Kimball would leave the VOL, though it’s unclear where the Jaguars would land, while Lathrop and Weston Ranch would trade the VOL for the WAC.

Livingston would leave the WAC and compete in the Trans-Valley League.

While it’s unclear what all the commissioners will discuss next week in private, one topic figures to be the MMC.

“The obvious preference of the Modesto City Schools is for all seven to remain in one league,” said the MMC’s Felt. “But after the first proposal was unveiled, the seven schools were split across three leagues, with Beyer and Downey proposed for the VOL. We’re looking at, as part of our discussion, if the MMC is going to be split, can it be reduced to two leagues instead of three.”

That’s where Magni’s plan, which, like the section’s, places MMC schools in three leagues, would need tweaking.

“I don’t care if they keep us the same, to be honest. And I have no problem with the section format,” said the VOL’s Antinetti, who stressed his league wants to retain an even number of teams, since an odd number of teams requires filling a bye week. “Bye weeks are hard to fill. Nobody around here wants to play Oakdale or Central Catholic or Manteca.”

Every four years, the section realigns its teams to ensure competitive balance. The 2016-17 term is the third year in the current cycle. In the past, Modesto City Schools have fought hard to remain in the same conference, citing the fact the schools share facilities and have minimal travel costs for league games. But Felt seems resigned to the fact the league will be splintered.

“I think it’s pretty clear,” Felt said. “The MMC has had a good run. Davis’ and Johansen’s student-athletes deserve an even playing field that, right now, it doesn’t look like MMC can provide.”

This story was originally published January 8, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "District’s ‘Big 4’ commissioners will meet for realignment confab."